We were back at the Vine Road recreation ground in Barnes on a lovely Saturday morning, to lend some help to Christine and team at the Barnes Common Community Growing Project.

The Community Growing Project is a space where people of all ages and abilities come together to grow food. By growing, sowing and learning together, they aim to reduce social isolation, build wellbeing and strengthen community cohesion.

There were several tasks to do, including weeding the beds in the main polytunnel and composting the weeds, moving tables and chairs to make way for an easier walkway through the garden, and tackling the weeds under the vine growing on the perimeter fence.

Everyone got stuck in, enjoying the weather and making a big difference. We finished up in time to have a nice coffee together - half price for volunteers!

Hope to be back helping the team again soon.

…… Ground, Barnes winter gardening and poly tunnel tidy.

Adam, Anita, Chris, Harry Rosie and Susannah joined other volunteers at the wonderful Vine Road Community Growing Project in Barnes to help prepare for the 2025 growing season. The Project is located across two sites in Vine Road Recreation Ground and includes, a variety of raised beds, compost heaps, a fenced plot, as well as a large polytunnel. https://barnescommon.org.uk/learn-with-us/informal-learning/community-growing-projects/

Project coordinator Nicky Buley briefed us on the morning’s work. The main tasks for GG Richmond was tackling the Project’s huge polytunnel to prepare it for another year of sowing , growing, and propagating. Adam, Chris, Harry and Anita set about cleaning, sorting, tidying and organising inside whilst Rosie and Susanhah headed outside, helping to prepare an outside bed ready to create a fragrant and bee friendly 50-bush lavender bank.

Reward after 90 minutes of tidying and gardening came in the form of half price drinks at the Vine Road Recreation Ground Community Café where we found ourselves drawn to the diddy, pastel-coloured chairs which proved surprisingly comfortable.

A warm and sunny morning greeted us for today’s task at the Vine Road Community Growing Project in Barnes. We met at the polytunnels and shifted a bit of garden furniture before dividing to conquer separate jobs involving compost and mulch. Classic.

The mulchers set about coating the raised beds in some rich organic material to nourish the soil and remaining crops over winter. Meanwhile, the others were busy shovelling and sieving matter from the compost heap to remove larger bits of wood, roots, worms, and more than a few coffee pods, to leave a most pleasing fine and light compost. Lovely.

Most of the group also stopped a little longer to enjoy well-earned coffees and baked treats in the sun from the community café.

Welcome to all those who joined us for the first time, whether from other areas or new to GoodGym. We hope to see you and the friendly bunch at Vine Road again soon.

Rosie, Suze, Chris, JP and Beth braved the wind and rain to tend to the community garden - Chris was optimistic in his shorts and no hood, and swiftly rewarded by the heavens closing and the sun shining. The task was clearing the beds of end-of-season vegetable plants and laying mulch to get them ready for the next crop. The remaining squashes, beans and pumpkins were harvested and the plants chopped back. Their 'no dig' policy meant roots are left to add more nutrients to the soil, and not disturb the fragile ecosystem that benefits regrowth - ie, no earthworms were harmed in the making of these beds. JP got stuck into chopping up the plants, Beth attacked the beans, Suze and Chris were pros at mulch distribution and Rosie celebrated the last squash to survive.

The group was then rewarded with tea and the first mince pies of the year from M&S, which led to an indepth discussion about Christmas and childhood TV adverts. With the tune to the classic Softmints ad fresh in mind, we finished up and went on our way.